Článek v ČEŠTINĚ dole (Klikněte na “Read the rest …”)

Author: Kateřina Erlebachová (CzechFolks.com PLUS)

“What? The Dalai Lama arrives? I have not heard about that!” That was the answer to the SMS sent to a friend from Slovakia who texted me a week before the Dalai Lama arrived in Prague. I immediately began to search the Internet to see if this is correct, because it seemed impossible to me, that such news is not published publicly. I found almost nothing except for pages of Vaclav Havel:

However, I found out that he will have a discussion about human rights at Charles University and after that, a lecture at the Congress Centre in Prague. Tickets were to be available at Ticketpro agency.

I was right on Wenceslas Square, so I went to ticket agency. “What! The Dalai Lama?”  The lady behind the counter asked me incredulously.  She was shaking her head and looked at me with eyes full of inspection: “Where have you fallen from, my dear? They have been sold out long time ago! “

I went later to a small village in Moravia to visit my mother who does not have internet, and she is therefore dependent on the TV for information. There had been no news of the impending visit on the TV. She did not know about the visit. She was surprised.

Reports began to emerge. On 10/12/2011 was the report on Czech TV1the News of the impending visit of the Tibetan spiritual leader was reported immediately after the information that the ski season had started, and that people are going for Christmas shopping in the border region. On 11/12/2011 in the morning news on Czech TV 24 we can see that the Dalai Lama, after his arrival on Saturday, met with our ex-president Vaclav Havel.

Between him and the Dalai Lama was very friendly relationship. Their meeting was very moving, as the Dalai Lama was gently massaging Vaclav Havel´s palm. On Czech TV the Dalai Lama said about Vaclav Havel: “I feel great honor that I could meet with him, we are longtime friends and he is not only my friend but a friend and spiritual leader of the free world. That’s what I feel. I asked him to live another ten years”. But then we did not know that this request would not be fulfilled.

I still wish to go to lecture, even though I have no ticket. What can I do? It is 13:00 on the day of the talk as I sit on the Metro and I am going to Vyšehrad station. My hope for a chance to get to the Prague Congress Centre is almost disappeared. My legs are like jelly.

In the carriage with me is a large group of Tibetans, including children. They have traditional clothing, cheerful eyes, gentle and friendly behavior to each other. The picture helps me breathe freely and feel comfortable.

There were many large queues heading to the Congress Centre. If someone looked at it from above he would see it like an octopus.

My hope to enter has jelly legs again. It does not even try whisper me something about courage. At the entrance I passed two men. One of them was holding a printed ticket from Ticketpro. The other man paid 1200 CZK (officially worth CZK 300) for the ticket. In my heart passed light shadow, but then I thought -   that’s his choice, his responsibility, and my wish and my choice. And I want go in.

I asked him hesitantly if he has any more tickets for sale. “No!” he says briskly. Then observed by the previous customer who is obviously, judging by the expression on his face, still dealing with the price he paid, “You see dude, everyone wants a ticket” Then he packed a roll of money into his pocket and hurried away. I hope for the man that the ticket is at least not a forgery.

Then I continue to walk past the long queues and send a message to potential resellers that I would like to buy a ticket.

I continued up to the very end, where there were a few unfortunates with the same message as I have. They do not like to accept me into their club.

Well, in that moment comes from nowhere, like a cannonball, smiling friend Helen. “Ticket! I have a ticket for you! “I didn´t understand but at the entrance she introduced me to her friend Kamil. They fought together for my ticket which was sold by a gentleman who was much more respectable than the first one and he wanted the original price.

Joy and humility came over me and I said thank you to the great Universe and his wife, children and dog for this nice little miracle. My hope says with an important face: “I told you so!”

I am happy and grateful. The podium was simply decorated. The light grey background with a great silhouette of Buddha created a beautifully tuned mosaic of colored images. Here is the Dalai Lama, his assistant and excellent translator.

And consider the fact - how old is the Dalai Lama?  He could be called “an incredible old man,” but the word “old man” would lead to a lot of confusion. This man, at his age, can respond quickly to the current situation, he can humorously and vigorously discuss and answer questions logically and with sophisticated humor.

The problem opens the possibility

He talked about how at sixteen he had to go into exile, and later lost his country. He talked about how sad it is now the situation in Tibet and how his experiences at the end of these have been useful. Because it all happens he becomes more practical and realistic person. So what is seen as a problem can, from a different perspective, look completely different. What is seen as tragic may from another point of view appear as an opportunity.

Mental level of the mind

He talked about the human mind. The senses are a source of information for the brain. But scientists do not know everything about the human brain. Still, there is the mental level of the mind which is not dependent on the senses.

People often think that the mind is entirety. One is either sad or happy. People forget to perceive subtle changes. People forget that their feelings may change suddenly. The mind is composed by a myriad of different aspects. And even it is not so simple. Many processes happen simultaneously at multiple levels at once. When we understand how our mind works, we can live better. This is written in many religious texts, but it is not necessary that it had a religious connotation. Discussions are ongoing with scientists in the field of brain science, psychology and psychiatry, but also scholars of ancient Indian traditions. He talked about how he liked to participate in these discussions.

Anger does not help

He talked about the time when we feel anger at someone who hurts others. It does not help those they are hurting, nor harm the ones who harm others. The only persons who may be hurt are ourselves.

Reconciliation with the death of loved ones

He talked about how to find reconciliation with the death of our beloved people. When someone we love dies, naturally we feel sadness, pain and helplessness. Death is a natural part of life every of person on this planet. There’s nothing we can do to change it. However, we can listen to our loved ones; empathize to their needs and wishes and try to satisfy them. We can make their lives fulfilled and consequently also our life. If we in our hearts care for the good of others, we do not need to pretend and hide and we can live fully and truthfully.

What is the power of prayer of the common man for a better world?

He talked about prayer which is good for our own internal mental health. However, people are praying for things to be good for thousands of years but the bad still happen. Therefore more powerful than prayer is often the action. The Dalai Lama puts great emphasis on personal responsibility.

What can we do with the current situation?

He said that what happens in the world around crisis can be very negative and to fix it quickly can be difficult. We can educate children. We can teach them morals and ethics, we can teach them how to care for others and attitudes of compassion. Then our future can be better.

It was interesting to sit among the people and listen to a man in monastic robes supplying power and optimism to many of us. It was nice to turn my head and watch the faces of people who listen, and see in their reflection a kind of grace in their faces. It was nice to see in front of the lecture hall a group of Tibetans. They were posing for photographers with the Tibetan flag, about which just few of us know that:

“The white colour on it symbolizes the fact that Tibet is a land of snow, and its triangular shape indicates that there are mountains, over which is the sun on a blue sky. The rays symbolize the joy of freedom, and the six red stripes indicate the six original tribes of Tibet. The two lions are protectors and the cup at their feet with three flaming treasures - a teacher, teaching, and community (Buddha, Dharma and Sangha).In front of their feet is the Yin Yang symbol, which symbolizes ethics, integrity and fidelity to purity, and the yellow rim shows the flowering of the Buddha’s teachings and fourth layer without rim shows openness and respect of Tibet to teachings and spirituality of others who are not Buddhist nations. “*

It was very nice to meet outside the hall Slovak poet Judita Kaššovicova and Slovak blues musician, composer, lyricist and vocalist Juraj Turtev.

Their musical project based on poetic book “The land of silence” which was written by Judita includes some photos of the Dalai Lama.

I asked them what was the most interesting piece in the Dalai Lama lecture:

Judita Kaššovicová: “Tolerance. That, as His Holiness the Dalai Lama promotes tolerance. This is important.”

Juraj Turtev: “When the Dalai Lama answered the question:” What would you like to have today? What do you miss?” His answer was:” Peace and tranquility to this world and peace in all of us, “I liked that he does not promote his ego. He is altruistic. His answer does not start or end with “I”.

Just a few days after this visit, Vaclav Havel, a man who helped to make big changes in our country, and contributed to the development of our democracy, died. In the Czech Republic there is a lot of sadness because of it. But there is also cause for joy. His departure was the way he wished it. He died in the place he liked. According to reports he left in the morning, calmly, in his sleep. This is a good death. Nevertheless, even though we wish he was with us for the next ten years or more, we can at least enjoy the tranquility of his passing. The Dalai Lama also said that he will miss his friend Vaclav Havel greatly.

Mrs. Dagmar Havlova, the wife of Vaclav Havel invited the public to funeral procession through Prague. Instead of words, that my feelings cannot cove I offer photos here.

If the Czechs had their own angels, I think that Vaclav Havel would certainly be their president. Although he would of cared probably about this position…

In the hearts of many of us, his presence is still alive.

Thank you to Judita Kaššovicova and Juraj Turtev for their kindness and permission to show their faces. Thank you to Vaclav Havel for better life. Thank you to Helen and Kamil as they won for me the ticket for CZK 300, thank you for all those who organized the lecture, translating and cleaning up after it and all who supported the funeral procession and farewell for the man who changed our lives.

* Robert Thurman
Why do we need the Dalai Lama
DharmaGaia 2009

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Václavu Havlovi s láskou

(Tento článek věnuji Václavu Havlovi, neboť vím, že měl Dalajlámu rád)

“Cože? Dalajláma přijede? O tom vůbec nevím!” Tak zněla odpověď na sms odeslanou kamarádovi ze Slovenska, který mne týden před příjezdem Dalajlamy do Prahy o této skutečnosti informoval.

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Článek v ČEŠTINĚ dole (Klikněte na “Read the rest …”)

The house Zdena and Josef Škvorecký for quite a number of years called their home (and Zdena still does), is located in one of the nicest Toronto residential areas: an area of well-preserved middle-age residences with well-tended gardens and here and there a magnificent old oak (or maple) tree. Škvorecky’s is a truly historical house. Not only because it was a pilgrimage stop for journalists and prominent visitors from the Czech Republic (in February, 1990 - when their native land was still called Czechoslovakia - it witnessed a reception following president Havel’s appearance at the Convocation Hall of the University of Toronto, where he delivered an important speech to several thousands of his countrymen and received an honorary doctorate from the York University); but mainly because it was the editorial and publishing centre of 68 publishers, the most important exile publishing house. It is the house, where the last several years of his life he was cared for by Zdena, and from which he was taken to the hospital, where he died, after just a few days, in the morning hours of January 2, 2012.

The paragraph about him In the Canadian Who’sWho is probably the longest in the whole volume. It mentions all his books, among them The Cowards (Zbabělci), The Legend of Emoke (Legenda Emoke), the Tank Corps (Tankový prapor), The Miracle Game (Mirájk), The Swell Season (Prima sezona), The Engineer of Human Souls (Příběh inženýra lidských duší), Dvořák in love, the Lieutenant Boruvka stories, the murder stories he wrote with Zdena, starting with A Brief Encounter With Murder in 1999, as well as his translations. Most of his books were translated to English a well as other languages. His awards include: Gugenheim Fellow, Neustadt International Prize for Literature, Governor-General’s Award, Order of Canada, Czechoslovak Order of the White Lion (also awarded to Zdena) and several honorary doctorates.

Škvorecký also had a distinguished academic career, starting in 1968 as a Visiting Lecturer in English at the University of Toronto. He was appointed Associare Professor of English in 1972 and Associate Professor in the Drama Centre in 1972, Professor in 1975 and retired in 1990 as Professor Emeritus. In 1992, he was awarded by the University of Toronto an Honorary doctorate of Letters. Škvorecký participated in several programs of the Centre of European, Russian and Eurasian studies, for example The Seminar on Czechoslovakia. Both he and Zdena also kept in touch with the New Theatre. Zdena was a founding member appeared in the first production, Jirasek’s Lucerna; Josef wrote for the New Theatre a play, Bůh do domu (God in Your House).

We last applauded both Josef and Zdena on May 29, 2011 at the Mysteriously Yours theatre (a theatre then known as Limelight Dinner Theatre made popular by the Czech actor and director Adolf Toman).The evening of May 29 was partly a goodbye party for the Consul General of the Czech Republic, Richard Krpač, but most of all a tribute to Josef Škvorecký. We saw Rhytmus in the heel, a film based on Škvorecky’s story “Malá pražská matahara” (A little Prague Matahara), published in April 2003 by the Literary Academy (Private school of Josef Škvorecký) as the fist volume of Josef Škvorecký edition. It narrates the fortunes of a group of young people after the Communist coup d’état. All of them ended badly (with the exception of Dany Smiřický (Josef Škvorecký alter ego), whom the communist official in charge of liquidating the group, decided to keep in reserve. The film ends with the aged Smiřický’s sentence (both aching and noble) which does not appear in the book: “I have never forgiven myself for having survived it.” Zdena and Josef came intentionally late and were ’smuggled’ to the balcony through a special entrance. As they were getting ready to leave, Richard Krpač announced their presence and the hall erupted in applause, which only increased, when Dr. Škvorecký took off his hat and started to leave, leaning on his walker, magnificent (Škvorecký was a believing Catholic) in the humble acceptance of his fate.

In the last months of his life, Josef Škvorecký tended one more dream: a hope that somehow enough capital will be raised to make a film based on his Cowards.

His death was reported by the world’s media, particularly in Toronto (the Globe and Mail) devoted to the Škvorecký story a whole page, featuring - among others - an article by Paul Wilson.

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Dům, ve kterém Zdena a Josef Škvorecký desítky let žili (a Zdena dosud žije)a tvořili, se nachází v jedné z nejpěknějších torontských čtvrtí: čtvrti domů středního věku s pěkně udržovanými zahrádkami a tu a tam krásným obrovitým stromem. Je to historický dům, nejen proto, že byl poutním místem pro novináře a prominentní návštěvníky z Čech (v únoru 1990 - a to bylo ještě Československo - se tam konala recepce po Havlově vystoupení v Convocation Hall, kde Havel pronesl významný projev k několika tisícům krajanů a byl poctěn čestným doktorátem York University), ale hlavně proto, že byl vydavatelským a redakčním centrem nejvýznamnějšího exilového nakladatelství

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Článek v ČEŠTINĚ dole (Klikněte na “Read the rest …”)

Montreal’s Alena and Ludvik Martinu are not just any married couple. Some time ago, we published a piece about Ludvik, a brilliant academician with practical bearings, who is - among other things - presently involved in developing an international research centre at the Mc Gill University. Now Alena, the editor-in-chief of Montreal’s publication Vestnik has decided to show that she, too, received talents from the Fates uncommon. Why did she decide to do so at this particular time?  One of the reasons is quite prosaic: the drawers in her study were overflowing with her manuscripts which she had started to produce many years ago and something had to be done. Why not simply publish some of the manuscripts? And once she decided to publish, Alena, who was born in Czechoslovakia and speaks several languages, chose English as the language of her first published work.

Alena named her first book (with a cover by a writer and satirist Karel Novak, who often signs his work as “KN”) after the first of the seven stories in the book “Scream of Silence” - a title which reminds me of the  spectacular painting, “The Sceram.” The book was published by iUniverse and picked as the “Editor’s Choice”. It is available in book stores Chapters and Indigo (in Montreal on St. Catherine in  Downtown and Point Claire; in Toronto, on Edward Street). It is also available on internet, both in the traditional book format and as an eBook. Ludvik has this to say about his wife’s book in the Montreal’s Vestnik: “This literary work of our ‘Mrs. editor-in chief’…offers interesting ideas, dramatic situations, mysterious and unexpected reversals as well as philosophical reflections, all with one central theme of interhuman relations, with their fragility and their strength. Her romantic stories of young people are sketched against the background of Montreal’s streets, the deep forests of the Quebec’s Laurentians, Montreal’s race track, French music halls…”

The text on the inside page of the book’s cover seems to link to Ludvik’ welcome of the book in Vestnik: “In her compilation of diverse tales (Martinu) weaves an eclectic group of characters  within a variety of settings while offering the inspiring message that love, respect, and communication are vital components to any healthy relationship. A wrong start for a young couple brings a catastrophe, a man nearly loses his chance for happiness simply by trying to do the right thing, an innocent flirtation results in a surprising bond for another woman …Interlaced with drama, mystery and fantasy, Scream of Silence is an intriguing collection of short stories that inspires reflection on the most beautiful and unexpected moments of life.”

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Author: Josef Čermák (CzechFolks.com PLUS)

Montrealští Alena a Ludvik Martinů nejsou jen tak nějaká manželská dvojice. O Ludvíku Martinů jsme psali před časem. Ludvík je brilantní akademik s praktickým zaměřením, který na montrealské McGill University organizuje mezinárodní středisko výzkumu. A teď nadešel čas pro Alenu, šéfredaktorku Montrealského časopisu “Věstník”, aby ukázala, že i k ní byly sudičky laskavé a obdařily ji nevšedním talentem. K tomu, aby se svými dary pochlubila, zřejmě přispěla zcela drobná prozaická skutečnost: šuplíky její pracovny, které plnila svou literární tvorbou (začala tvořit před pěknou řádkou let) začaly přetékat rukopisy, povídkami, romány, filosofickými úvahami, a tak bylo třeba něco podniknout. Třeba proměnit některý z těch rukopisů v knížku. A když už knížku, tak v jazyku, kterým obcuje celý svět, v angličtině.

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Článek v ČEŠTINĚ dole (Klikněte na “Read the rest …”)

If you understood the title above, you know we are talking about the short evening children’s series on Czech TV. Vecernicek is the name of a boy (translated: Little Eveninger) that brings short fairytales to  little Czech or Slovak children every evening (”vecer”). During communism, this was a special time for kids, since at that time, the TV program selection was very poor.

Today, Czech and Slovak TV has many shows for children of all ages. Vecernicek is not as popular as it used to be. That is why Czech TV, Ceska Televize, has decided to move this show to their second channel. That is not, however, all that will be new in the beginning of the new year. This channel will host other shows directed toward children in their “afternoon block.” It will contain other shows for kids of all ages for about 3 hours or more.

In today’s global world, there are many ways for Czech and Slovak children to watch cartoons, fairytales, or other shows appropriate to their ages. However, Vecernicek is a special one. It is old, original, and it reminds us of the times when we were children and spent our 10 minutes a day in front of our black&white or color TV to connect with “the world.”

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Pokud jste pochopili titulek, víte, že mluvíme o krátké televizní sérii vysílané večer na České televizi. Večerníček je jméno chlapce, který každý večer přináší krátké pohádky pro malé české nebo slovenské děti. Během komunismu byl speciální momentem pro děti, protože výběr v televizi byl tenkrát velmi chudý.

Dnes má česká a slovenská televize mnoho pořadů pro děti všech věkových kategorií. Večerníček není tak populární, jak kdysi býval. Proto se Česká televize rozhodla přesunout tento program na druhý kanál. To však není vše, co bude nového v počátku příštího roku. Tento kanál bude vysílat další pořady zaměřené na děti v jejich “odpoledním bloku.” Bude obsahovat i jiné pořady pro děti všech věkových kategorií bo dobu asi 3 hodin nebo více.

V dnešním globálním světě existuje mnoho způsobů, jak české a slovenské děti mohou sledovat kreslené filmy, pohádky, nebo jiné pořady odpovídající jejich věku. Nicméně, Večerníček, je výjimečný. Je to starý, původní pořad, který nám připomíná časy, kdy jsme byli děti a strávili jsme 10 minut denně před našimi černobílými nebo barevnými televizory, abychom se spojili se “světem”.

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Článek v ČEŠTINĚ dole (Klikněte na “Read the rest …”)

Today, the former Czechoslovak and Czech President, Vaclav Havel, has “peacefully” passed away in his sleep in his cottage. He was 75 years old.

Vaclav Havel was the most famous Czech politician in the world. The former playwright, who was a major figure in fight against Communism, later became the president of Czechoslovakia and later the Czech Republic.

His motto: “truth and love must prevail over lies and hatred” will stay embedded in our hearts as well as his contribution to the freedom of all Czechs and Slovaks at home and around the world. We extend our condolences to President Havel’s family. He will never be forgotten.

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Phase One of the Restoration of the Ceremony Hall Begins

CHICAGO, ILL. November 9, 2011 — The restoration of the Ceremony Hall in the crematorium/columbarium building at Bohemian National Cemetery began on November 1, 2011. Noted Moravian-born artist John A. Mallin decorated the Ceremony Hall in 1918 and led previous restoration efforts in 1928 and 1948. The current restoration project, initiated by Friends of Bohemian National Cemetery, is the first in almost 65 years.

The restoration is partially funded by a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund for Historic Interiors. The Friends of Bohemian National Cemetery has launched the campaign titled “Restoring the Past for the Future” to raise the estimated $300,000 needed to complete the restoration.

Mallin decorated the hall with symbols of fraternal and patriotic associations who supported and managed the cemetery. The Ceremony Hall provides a unique retrospective commemoration of these organizations - some of which no longer exist. Over the course of his career, Mallin decorated banks, theaters, courthouses, homes, more than 100 churches, the facades at Riverview Amusement Park, and several rooms in the home of the wealthy businessman John Cuneo (now the Cuneo Museum).

Anthony Kartsonas, founder of Historic Surfaces LLC, is leading the restoration project. Mr. Kartsonas, an admirer of Mallin, has previously performed studies in two Mallin-decorated churches: St. Josaphat’s and St. Andrew’s. He also gave a presentation about conservation training at Litomysl in the Czech Republic and has over 17 years of experience in paint restoration projects. He has worked on projects as diverse as tile stabilization in the Glessner House to an analysis of the exterior finish of Wrigley Field.

In the seven years of its existence, Friends has worked with the cemetery to obtain numerous grants and donations that have enabled the repair and restoration of the crematorium/columbarium roof, the historic water tower, the gatehouse bell tower, the cemetery burial registers, and the art glass windows in the Ceremony Hall. To learn more about the restoration projects, please visit http://www.friendsofbnc.org/events/restoration.htm.

The Bohemian National Cemetery of Chicago is a fraternal, not-for-profit cemetery founded in 1877 by Bohemian, Moravian and Slovak immigrant Freethinkers and their descendants to provide a dignified place for burials free of religious restraints. The cemetery is available to all religions, nationalities and races. The cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

About Friends of Bohemian National Cemetery:

Friends of Bohemian National Cemetery is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2004. The mission of the Friends is to promote the historical significance, enhance the beauty, and preserve the artistic heritage of Bohemian National Cemetery. Friends fosters an appreciation of the cemetery in local, national and international audiences. Friends has regular meetings with educational programs, conducts walking tours of the cemetery, and publishes a quarterly newsletter, Heritage Happenings. Friends also raises funds for the restoration and preservation of Bohemian National Cemetery. Additional information is available at the website: http://www.friendsofbnc.org.

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Článek v ČEŠTINĚ dole (Klikněte na “Read the rest …”)

In his younger days, he must have been a handsome fellow. Even today - even though time had bowed him a bit, and thinned his once luxurious lock of hair - he looks quite good. If you peered deeply into his eyes, you’d see in them shadows indicating that life did not always treat him (as it had hardly anyone) with much consideration.

Vladimír was born on November 11, 1931 in Pilsen’s maternity hospital (the family lived in Kralovice). It was in Kralovice, where Vladimír attended public school. During the war - in 1941 - his father, a professor at agricultural school, was transferred to Novy Bydžov, where - two years later- he was appointed deputy director. That year the family moved to Volyně in the Šumava region and Vladimír was a student at the Strakonice gymnasium. To get there, he had to go by train. After the war ended, the family moved again. This time to Stod, and Vadimír changed schools - from Strakonice to Pilsen, where he had a chance to study English. But again, the only way to get to Pilsen was by train.

In July, 1947, the family was struck by a disaster: Vladimír’s father bicycled to a car repair shop to pick up his car. The family planned  to attend  the July 6 national festivities in Domažlice. He was hit by a car from behind and died in hospital. Following the funeral, the family (the widow, Vladimír and his sister) moved to the mother’s sister in Rakovník. There, Vladimir was able to study French and participate in sailing courses and - of course - had to engage in the obligatory brigades on a collective farm and later also brigades in coal mines. His mother found a job as teacher of religion at the rural schools (at least until the regime terminated religious education a couple of years later). After graduation from gymnasium in 1950, and completing one month brigade in Ostrava, he was accepted as a student at the Technical University in Prague.

During his studies - his field was mechanical engineering (he specialized in cars and tractors) - he spent time in the Skoda factory in with Electrovert Mfg. Co. in Laprairie in Quebec as a design engineer, responsible for designing and testing of new equipment for automated wave soldering systems, used in electronic equipment (NASA, IBM, computer electronics); in 1973 he was appointed manager of the Quality Control & Product Improvement Department. In 1975, Vladimír joined the Quality Assurance Engineering department of the Montreal branch of the Atomic Energy of Canada Limited as Procurement and Design Engineer responsible for supervising enterprises manufacturing equipment for the reactors of nuclear power stations. He played an important role in the selection of the suppliers of equipment to the nuclear power stations and supervision of the quality (including testing procedures) of their products. Among his duties was also review, evaluation and acceptance of  Manufacturing , Inspection and Test Plans and related procedures for various categories of nuclear and non-nuclear equipment. Vladimír retired in 1996 (moving - in the meantime - with his family, which now included a son, Martin, to Oakville and to the head office of AECL in Mississauga-Toronto).

Martin became the source of joy for his parents for many reasons. For one, he was successful in his work: his first job - after completing university in 1994 - was, rather ironically, with Procter & Gamble in Toronto, a company which after the fall of the Communist regime became the owner of the illegally nationalized Rakovnik company, founded by his great-grandfather and granffather. Martin was also a talented sportsman - and not of some everyday variety. He chose triathlon and in 1991 won the European segment, from Bavaria, across Šumava, to the Czech Republic. His sweater displayed the name of Canada, but when he was receiving his prize in the Czech Republic, also the name Bata, the company which sponsored him.

Vladimír was member of a number of professional organizations. At the time of his employment with Stavoservis in Czechoslovakia, he was a member of the Science -Technical Society. In Canada, he joined the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario, the Order of Engineers of Quebec, the American Society of Quality Control. He is a member of two Czechoslovak organizations, Sokol and the Czech and Slovak Association of Canada. He participated - with his wife Dáša - as members  of the Canadian Sokol  group - in two All-Sokol Festivals in Prague in 2000 and 2006. We wish him, his wife Dáša, Martin and granddaughter Hana, many wonderful years.

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Author: Josef Čermák (CzechFolks.com PLUS)

Foto: Linda Hilliard

Musel být za mlada velký fešák. Ještě dnes - i když ho čas trochu naklonil a probral se mu v bujné kštici - vypadá dobře. Podíváte-li se mu hlouběji do očí, uvidíte v nich stíny, znamení, že život se k němu (jako skoro k nikomu z nás) nechoval vždycky ohleduplně.

Vladimír se narodil 11. listopadu 1931 v plzeňské porodnici (rodiče bydleli v Kralovicích). V Kralovicích začal chodit do obecné školy. Během války - v roce 1941 - byl jeho tatínek, profesor na hospodářské škole, přeložen do Nového Bydžova, kde se o dva roky později stal náměstkem ředitele. V roce 1943 se rodina přesunula do Volyně na Šumavě - to už Vladimír dojížděl vlakem do gymnázia ve Strakonicích.

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Článek v ČEŠTINĚ dole (Klikněte na “Read the rest …”)

The last hurrah (poslední hurá)

The region that witnessed the establishment of the first Sokol unit (and probably of any Czech or Slovak organization in Canada) is a region of magic names:  Rocky Mountains, Crow’s Nest Pass, Turtle Mountain, Elk river, Porcupine Hills, Deception Mountain, Coal Creek… A region where in the autumn dark green spruces and birches (at least I think it’s birches) dressed in gold march up the mountains’ hillsides, where at night a fairy tale  moon shines through the veils of vapor, drawing close to the mountain peaks and when - at daytime - the sun is hidden behind the clouds, the mountains which charmed at night, look down at you threateningly and with utter contempt. A region which witnessed the horrors of disasters, fires, floods, and the slide of 75 million tones of rock toward the town of Frank, when on April 28, 1903, the Turtle Mountain split and huge wedge of rock, some 150 meters thick, 650 meters high, and 900 meters wide broke loose from it and buried 76 men, women and children. Thanks to the fact that the disaster occurred very early in the morning, only 17 men, of them Slavs (Slovaks, Czechs, Poles) were trapped in the mine. According to J. Brian Dawson (”Crows nest”, Altitude Publishing Canada Ltd.) all 17 of them reached the outside. Other sources claim that one of the 17, Slovak John Sirota from Orava, perished. This was to be his last day in the mine. He was to return home the next day.

The Crow’s Nest Pass is viewed by many as the most important historic region of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, which began to form some 100 million years ago. A million years ago there was a number of glaciers in the area, and around 500,000 years ago a huge ice field more than 300 meters deep stretched as far as Lethbridge. 22,000 years old bones of horses, lemmings, bison, passenger pigeons and other animals were discovered in the caves above Crownest Lake. Traces of human presence come a bit later, around 9,000 B.C. - (1,000 years after the end of the last Ice Age, which started 72,000 years ago and ended 62,000 years later). The first mention of coal, which wrote and still writes such a large part of the history of this region, appears in a letter of a Jesuit priest, Fr. Pierre Jean de Smet, probably the first white visitor to this part of the world, written about the middle of the19th century, in which this courageous missionary describes one of his trips to this area notes “large pieces of coal around Des Chutes / the Elk River …” In 1870 -twenty years later - the British government purchased from the Hudson Bay Company an immense expanse of land in the Northern Ontario and Quebec, and between Ontario and the Rocky Mountains, which the company, presided over until his death in 1782 by Rupert, Prince of Bohemia, received as a gift from Rupert’s uncle, King Charles II. and just before the end of the 19th century the Canadian Pacific Railway, connected they are with rail lines. Coal was not mined in the area commercially until 1898, when a mine was started in Michel and proved very successful. The company which owned the mine, Crow’s Nest Pass Coal Company, built in the neighborhood of the mine, cottages, a hotel, and a store. In 1901, the town had 476 residents. In the fall of the year 1907, another town was started a short distance from Michel. It was called New Michel, but was later renamed Natal.

Around 1911 a group of Czech mining families moved to Michel an Natal and on October 22, 1911 established in Michel the first Sokol unit in Canada. They named it “Sokol Krusnohorský”. The unit had 43 members, all miners, who came from the Czech Krusnohori. The following were elected officers of the unit: Frantisek Trojanek, president, Josef Beranek, deputy president, Václav Vogradsky, men’s coach, Vaclav Brixa, secretary, Antonin Pondelnicek, treasurer, Josef Rybnicek, accountant, Frantisek Pavel, equipment keeper, and Josef Haner, librarian. The  unit became a member - together with the unit in Frank, Alberta, founded a little later - of the Fugner-Tyrs district Sokol organization in Chicago. It strongly supported the work of the Czech National Association in America in support of the first  world war Czech and Slovak resistance movement abroad, and several of its members - together with several members from Sokol Frank, joined the Czech company of the Canadian army (”the Bohemian Detachment” of the 223rd  Battalion , Canadian Expeditionary Force). 66 members of the Battalion, who took part in the battles on the western front, gave Bohemia as the country of their origin. With the decline in the coal output after the war leading many members of the Michel unit to move away, the activity of the unit declined, until - in the early thirties - it stopped completely and the unit ceased to exist. But the Sokol calisthenics weren’t quite dead yet- In 1947 a large group of young people, trained by Anthony Kalivoda, performed a Sokol calisthenics routine at a festival of Slavic nations in the village of Blairmore.

On October 9, 2011, was a short distance from the no longer existing towns Michel and Natal, at the Sparwood Recreation Centre, unveiled a plague commemorating the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Michel Sokol (under the Sokol symbol is a brief story of the unit in Czech, Slovak, English and French), which Sokol Canada presented to the Michel-Natal- Sparwood Heritage Society and the District of Sparwood. A special thank -you for this event taking place must go to a member of the Ottawa unit, Paul Vidlak. The initiative came from Jan Waldauf, the most outstanding Sokol of his generation, who visited Sorwood in 2004 and got a fair amount of information about the Michel unit from-among others-Jerry Ruzicka and Milada Vrska. He also received help from Jim Bertoia of the Sparwood District Library. Waldauf arranged the material and presented it at the annual meeting of the Canadian Sokol with a recommendation that the 100the anniversary of the establishment of the first Sokol unit in Canada be properly commemorated.

Paul  Vidlak fulfilled Waldauf’s wish. He spent tens and tens of hours on the project: getting right, in four languages, the text on the plague, selecting the artist, preparing materials for the brochure about Sokol generally, and the Nichel unit in particular, visits to Sparwood, developing contacts with the descendants of the members of the unit, developing program for the celebration, invitations, etc…He was fortunate to find good helpers, particularly the husband and wife team, Lada and Monica Beranek, Sandra Barrett (the artist who created the plague}, Rosalie Fornasier from the Michel -Natal-Sparwood Society, Jarmila Beka-Lee, secretary of Sokol Canada, Lada Kubat, president of the Ottawa branch of the Czech and Slovak Association of Canada (CSSK), who arranged the publication of the brochure about Sokol, which will be available at the Heritage Society. It was all worth it.

The celebration in the Sparwood Recreation Centre (the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Canada, Karel Zebrakovský sent greetings) was attended by the following guests and Sokol members: David Wilks, Member of Parliament, Kootenay-Columbia, Sharon Fraser, Acting Mayor, Sparwood, Jim Bertoia, Librarian, Sparwood  District Library, Rosalia Fornasier, representing Michel-Natal-Sparwood Heritage Society, Sandra Barrett, the artist who created the commemorative plague, Tom Pajer, President of the American Sokol Organization; the Canadian Sokol units were represented by their officers: Toronto unit (including the Kitchener-Guelph-Waterloo branch): Josef Cermák from Toronto, the immediate past president and an outstanding Sokol member from Kitchener (he was joined by five members of his family), Paul Vidlak from Ottawa, Petr Sikarovsky from Montreal, Ludvik Matousek.

The Czech and Slovak Association of Canada was represented by the president of its Edmonton branch, Edward Brabec (who also took some excellent photographs) and Edmonton members Dr. Petr Schubert and Zdeněk Fišera (for many years president of the Edmonton branch who did much good work for the young people as well as seniors of his branch; Calgary was represented by Vladimir Masata the secretary and editor of Calgarske Listy.

Paul Vidlák, who chaired the celebration, introduced the guests David Wilks and Sharon Fraser. Both delivered a short greeting. Edward Brabec mentioned the 1903 mining disaster in Frank as indirectly leading to the recruiting of miners particularly in the north-west Bohemia, north and south Moravia and Slovakia, the subsequent establishment of the Sokol unit in Michel, and later, to the establishment of Sokol units in other provinces. Mr. Brabec described the development of the Czechoslovak Association of Canada during the second world war, when the Association (thanks mainly to Karel Buzek) had 91 branches, 18 of them in Alberta alone. “Today, in Alberta, we have three Czech and Slovak organizations: two branches of the Czech and Slovak Association of Canada (one in Edmonton, and one in Calgary), in Edmonton we also have SVU Alberta (the Society of Arts and Sciences, Alberta), founded after 1968. These three organizations have - together - more than 250 members. There are - according to the Canadian census - approximately 6,000 Czechs and Slovaks living in Alberta.”

President Brabec then handed over - for safekeeping  at the head office of Sokol Canada - to its president, Josef Cermak, a pin  commemorating the 10th All-Sokol Festival in 1938 with a tape “TORONTO - Canada, Foreign District, worn by his uncle, Josef Blahusek. A lovely souvenir.

The next speaker, the president of the American Sokol Organization, Tom Pajer, spoke movingly about the excellent relationship between the American and Canadian Sokols.

The next speaker

Josef Cermak set the date of the foundation of the Michel Sokol in the context of the immigration to Canada from the Czeh lands and Slovakia and outlined the contribution of these immigrants to Canada (one of the present Sokol members told him that his - Cermak’s speech - had little  to do with the subject matter of the celebration and that it was too long, while the acting mayor of Sparwood kissed Cermak (on the cheek).

The chairman of the celebration sketched a brief history of the Michel Sokol unit and stressed the role played in this event by Jan Waldauf who, sadly, died a short time ago. Then he handed over to David Wilks, MP, the acting mayor of Sparwood, Sharon Fraser and Sandra Barrett, Čermák’s book, “It All Began With Prince Rupert.” and called on Čermák to unveil -as president of Sokol Canada - the plague. The celebration ended with a reception at which all enjoyed the gorgeous pies and cookies baked by Monica Beranek (who, with her husband Lada was Paul Vidlak’s most efficient helper in organizing the celebration - it was her who brought Rosalia Fornasier of the Michel-Natal-Sparwood Heritage Society into the project).

Prior to the celebration the Elk Valley Herald published a fine article written by Herald’s reporter, Brielle Will, in which Will mentioned the establishment of the Sokol organization in Prague in 1962, as well as the foundation of the Michel unit on October 22, 1911. She quoted Monica Beranek ,”who married Laddie Beranek - a descendant of Sparwood (Will probably meant “Michel”) Sokol members Joseph Beranek, his grandfather, and Jeremiah Beranek, father..” She mentions the families which moved to the region and whose descendants still live there, “the Beraneks, Troyaneks, Matevics, Podraskkys, Androlicks, Bahers, Brandis, Koteks, Putichs, and Holubs…” - we could add Violet Kryczka, a cousin of Laddie Beranek, who still speaks some Czech - as well as units established in Canada long after the Michel unit.

Josef Cermak’s personal note: with this celebration I in fact completed my Sokol engagement, because a week later, at the Sokol Canada annual meeting in Kingston, my second and last term as president of Sokol Canada came to an end. I atually hoped that the Sparwood celebration would come after the annual meeting, and hat the new president would represent Sokol Canada at the Sparwood celebration. It didn’t happen and I did go to Sparwood - the only one from Toronto. In the end I looked at it as my last hurrah. I am happy I did go, certainly at least partly because I survived the trip. I am taking the liberty of describing it - in the hope that it will give you a few laughs - after a solemn undertaking in Michel, an episode brutally prosaic:

I left Toronto Saturday afternoon and returned the following Monday afternoon. In the 48 hours between the two afternoons I travelled - by plane, bus and taxi - around 10,000 km; I arrived in Sparwood at 3:30 Sunday morning, vacated my hotel room at 11:00, attended the celebtarion at the Sparwood Recreation Centre in the afternoon, delivered there “a discontinuous and long speech”, suffered through hours of waiting for planes or buses and that brings me to the golden moment of the informal part of my journey. The celebration ended around 5:00 pm and Petr Stikarovsky and I had to decide where and how to spend the time between 5:00 pm on Sunday and 1:30 am o Monday morning , when a bus was coming to Fernie to take us to Calgary. We decided to get a hotel room. Once inside the room, i collapsed on my bed, while Petr Stikarovsky took a bath. I didn’t particularly care for a bath but after some time (Petr was already asleep in his bed), I changed my mind. The water in the bath was pleasantly warm, I blissfully rolled around in it, but eventually had to get out. In my bath (I am almost 87) I grab the tap and the wash-bowl and practically bounce out of the bath. But in this hotel - when they built it - they apparently did not take into account my present visit and the wash-bowl was completely out of my reach. No matter how I contorted my aged body, I couldn’t do it. Mainly because - whenever I tried to lean on my left leg, it was attacked by a horrible crap - and I couldn’t move. I struggled in the bath for quite a while producing loud sounds, until I apparently woke up my room-mate, who inquired outside the door if everything was all right. I asked him to come in, he offered me his mighty Sokol arm, I grabbed it and bounced out of the bath. Not a particularly solemn and elegant end to a solemn and elegant occasion. I recalled it just a few days later when I saw on the television people dragging my colleague (in circumstances) Moammar Gadhafi out of a drain pipe.

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Poslední hurá…

Oblast, ve které byla před 100 lety založena první sokolská jednota v Kanadě, je domovem kouzelných jmen: Hory Skalisté, Průsmyk vraního hnízda, Želví hora, Losí řeka, Dikobrazovy vrchy, Ošidná hora, Uhlový potok… Oblast, kde na podzim do horských strání pochodují temně zelené smrky a do zlata oblečené břízy (alespoň myslím, že jsou to břízy), kde v noci měsíc pohádkově prosvítá závoji par tisknoucích se k vrcholkům hor a ve dnech, když slunce kryjí mraky, na vás hrozivě a pohrdavě shlížejí hory, které vás v noci okouzlily. Oblast, která zažila hrůzy pohrom, požárů, povodní, i sesutí 75 milionů tun skal v blízkosti městečka  Frank, když Želví hora, pod níž se těžilo uhlí, se 28. dubna 1903 rozlomila a odlomená část, 650m vysoká, 150m tlustá a 900m široká,  se v obrovských balvanech sesula na okraj městečka Frank a pohřbila 76 mužů, žen a dětí. Poněvadž k pohromně došlo k ránu, bylo v šachtě jen 17 horníků, 8 z nich byli Slované, Slováci, Poláci, Češi. Podle J.Briana Dawsona (”Crowsnest”, Altitude Publishing Canada Ltd.) všech 17 se zachránilo. Podle jiných pramenů, jeden z nich, Slovák John Sirota z Oravy, zahynul. Byl to jeho poslední pracovní den. Příští den se měl vrátit domů…

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